Yes, This Will Be On the Test

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I just finished reading SAVING REDWIND, A WALLPAPER ADVENTURE by Kris Yankee aloud to my class and we are HOOKED.

I'm always on the hunt for new middle grade "boy" books and SAVING REDWIND hits the bullseye. Both the boys and the girls in my class went crazy for this story.

All eleven-year-old Nick Stevenson wants is an adventure like his dad's. Oh, and for the creepy ceiling in his bedroom to stop storming and spinning. When he's asked to save a world that exists inside his bedroom's wallpaper, Nick thinks he's found his very own adventure. But he has no idea it will involve talking rocks, dream stealing birds, and becoming friends with wizards. Can Nick save Redwind and his new friends before his mom calls him home for hockey practice?

Here are some questions and comments from the 5th Grade Trenches...

Why did you call the monsters Krogs? Maya

Where did you get the idea for SAVING REDWIND? Myles/Vanessa E./Clarissa/Tameem

How did you come up with the strange names? Ben

When will there be more Redwind adventures? (This was the #1 question)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

First of all, thank you all for your patience. I've been a crummy blogger lately. Two words... report cards. I'll be back to blog visitin' this week.

Do you ever find yourself grumbling about the way your "day job" interferes with your writing life? I know I do. Last week I had to smack myself upside the head and lay out all the ways teaching 5th grade, my day job, is actually a benefit to my writing. Here are some of the perks:

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Welcome to the launch party of the young adult novel, OPEN MINDS, the first installment of the Mindjacker Trilogy by Susan Kaye Quinn.

The most dynamic use of line in a composition is one that rapidly changes direction. OPEN MINDS grabbed me and took me on a ride filled with unexpected switchbacks, climbs, and straight drops.

I was taken by the world of OPEN MINDS that blends the familiar landscape of today’s life with controversial technological advances that may be waiting for us in the future. Susan Kaye Quinn keeps us rooted in the physical world we know, but projects a fascinating path for the evolution of the human mind. The story presents a hypothesis for where our brains may be headed which is both mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time.

Kira and her supporting cast sing with authentic teen voices. They navigate their ordeals with the perfect adolescent blend of arrogance, impulsivity, and insecurity.

Bravo, Susan for taking us on adventure where the stakes rise with every turn, and no thought has a safe place to hide.

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

About Me

I love writing young adult fiction and am both a fan and member of the SCBWI. I'm a Bruin through and through with a BA and MFA in Theatre Arts from UCLA where I also taught design for many years. These days I hang out with the wee folk, teaching 1st grade.